Thursday, August 24, 2006

Is It Time for the Republican Disloyalists to Lay Down Their Weapons?

Gov. Fletcher appears to have succeeded in resolving the battle with the state's leading Democrat. It is significant that he has done this almost completely without the help of his own party, which left him in the lurch by abandoning him from the outset. Battling Stumbo is hard enough; doing it alone and prevailing is no mean achievment.

So what does this mean for the Governor's problems within his own party? Maybe the Governor could now proceed with settlement discussions with the Disloyalist Republicans who have been shooting the Governor in the back while Stumbo has been firing from the front.

For all practical purposes, the Disloyalists have been in league with Democrats against the Governor. Now that Stumbo has withdrawn his forces, will the Disloyalists lay down their weapons?